Do You Look Well?

I love when months have 31 days in them. It seems silly, I know. You see, each day I read the Proverbs of the day, and the 31st chapter is my favorite! In a world where femininity is obscure and squelched, Proverbs clearly defines a godly woman. Some argue that it is unattainable. How can we be expected to live up to such standards? And frankly, it CAN be discouraging to read at times because let’s face it. We fail. Every day. In one area or another. But what I LOVE about this chapter is that it’s a clearly defined measuring stick against which I can stand to see how I’m doing. It’s a time to examine myself and my life as a wife and a mother. Because I want to be the BEST wife and the BEST mother God wants me to be. The only way that is possible is if I examine myself according to God’s Word.

When I looked at the date this morning in my devotions I smiled to see it’s August 31st. Granted, I could read Proverbs 31 every day! But I like taking this special time every other month to do a deep examination on where I can improve.

This morning I was drawn to verse 27, “She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.” The longer I thought about this verse, the more I learned!

1. She looketh. A simple phrase with so much meaning! The word “Looketh” refers to keeping watch. This woman is taking the time to keep watch over her home. She doesn’t have her eyes and her heart caught up in her own desires. She’s not letting the days flee away. She is ACTIVELY looking upon and protecting her home! She fills her home with God’s Words and is aware of the enemy’s attempts to snare her family.

2. She looketh WELL. She is thorough. When I was young my parent would ask me to go to another room to get something. It was my habit to walk into the room, scan briefly, and exit without having found the object. Did I look well? Nope! Usually my dad would go in and directly find the object, literally, right in front of me. This is not the way we are to watch out for our homes. It takes determination! It takes perseverance!

3. To the ways of HER household. The woman in Proverbs was not following a book that she picked up at the store that told her how to raise her kids, how to make their clothes, how to bring the food from afar. She didn’t have Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram to compare herself to other wives and mothers. She looked to the ways of her OWN household! Of course, I’m not saying we never learn from others’ examples. Balance is key you see. My home is different from yours! My stage of life. The age(s) of my child(ren). How long I’ve been married. Where in this world God has placed me. And because of that, what works for me may not work for you! This woman had to learn how she was able to best care for HER home at the current time.

4. And eateth not the bread of idleness. Have you ever heard the joke about women “sitting around all day eating bon bons and watching soap operas”? Usually said jokingly, but not at all what idleness looks like for most women. And can I tell you, it’s a STRUGGLE for most women! Myself included. So what DOES idleness look like for you? Is it sleeping later so that you are unable to tend to the needs of your husband before he leaves for work? Is it time spent on social media and before you know it you’ve spent more time than you intended and missed out on precious time with your children. Is it not taking care of your body because, well, you just don’t feel like exercising! The list could go on. Modern day idleness is an enemy of godly womanhood, but it’s OH so tempting to fall into. The sad part is, a lot of times we don’t even realize we’ve fallen into it.

Friend, do not be discouraged if you’ve found yourself with idle days filled with everything but being watchful. The reward for godly womanhood is beyond measure. The next verse says, “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”